This invention relates generally to semiconductor technologies and to semiconductor manufacturing processes.
In a number of applications, it is desirable to manufacture relatively small contacts. These contacts may be formed within vias or within pores.
For example, in connection with phase change memories, it may be desirable to form a pore into which a contact is formed. Over the contact may be defined a heater which resides within the pore. The heater is then covered by a phase change material so that the heater is capable, when passing electrical current, to heat the chalcogenide and to cause it to change phase. These different phases may be associated with different measurable resistivities. As a result, a phase change memory may be formed. Since it is desirable to reduce the programming current, it may also be desirable to reduce the size of the heater.
In a number of instances, making relatively small critical dimension parts is limited by the dimensions achievable with lithographic techniques. Today, lithographic techniques limit feature size to about 180 nanometers.
Thus, it would be desirable to form features that are smaller than 180 nanometers.